Hollow Heroes (My 100th Story!)
by Quatermass
Summary: Falling through the Veil didn't kill Harry. Instead, it turned him into a seemingly emotionless shell in a universe where Disney characters are real, and he wields a legendary weapon known as the Keyblade. But as he works to help fellow Keyblade wielder Sora in his mission to hold back the darkness, along with other Nobodies, his past will come back to haunt him...
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

For my 100th published story, I wanted to do something special. As my first story published here, _Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage_ , was a crossover with _Final Fantasy VII_ , I wanted to do this story as some sort of _Final Fantasy_ crossover. I eventually realised that I hadn't done a _Kingdom Hearts_ crossover, and that's where this story took off.

Actually, I tell a lie. I did attempt a crossover of this sort before, but it went nowhere. Hopefully, this work will turn out better.

Anyway, the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be a lot of annotations, as is the norm for my fics.

Secondly, spoilers abound for Harry Potter and _Kingdom Hearts_. This is your only warning.

Thirdly, this is an M-rated fic. Language, violence, and sexual references abound. Again, you have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-based work. Harry Potter and _Kingdom Hearts_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Axel will roast you…


	2. Chapter 1: The Nobody that Lived

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **THE NOBODY WHO LIVED**

 _He remembered the battle mostly within his nightmares now. Of spells whizzing past him, of his friends being attacked. Of his godfather being hit by a curse from his godfather's deranged cousin, stumbling towards an archway. He managed to break free from the werewolf's grasp, and save his godfather…but at the cost of falling through the archway, through the Veil, himself._

 _The last thing he remembered of that time with any great clarity was the screams of his allies, screaming out his name, and the high cackling of the deranged witch. Then, a great pain in his chest, like something being torn out. It left an icy cold in its wake._

 _Then, oblivion._

 _He woke up standing on a mysterious stained glass image, showing himself, his friends and enemies, a mysterious, deep voice guiding him through a new life. Then, as if from a dream, he woke up…_

* * *

 _"Oh, he's waking up!" The voice of a woman, not much older than he was._

 _"Be careful, Aerith. Merlin says he's a Nobody, like those creeps the King warned us about." The gruff voice of an older, middle-aged man._

 _"Even if he wasn't a Nobody, he's an interloper here." A younger man's voice, somewhat cold and clinical._

 _"And he practically fell out of the sky onto me!" This was a girl about his age._

 _"Which means we need to be cautious, if nothing else," the younger man was saying, as the teenager opened his eyes, and saw who was speaking, a brown-haired young man with a handsome, if rather stoic, features, a scar running across his face. He seemed to be in some sort of house, with magical paraphernalia on one side, and on the other, what looked like a massive computer terminal. So, not Hogwarts or the Ministry…though his memories of those were admittedly a little hazy._

 _"Leon, he isn't even wearing a dark hoodie like the Organization does," the older girl, who had brown hair, gentle and demure features, and stunning green eyes, so much like his own, pointed out, though the teenager was a bit baffled as to what she meant._

 _"That means little," the scarred young man called Leon said._

 _"Excuse me, but isn't it rude to talk about someone while they're right here?" the teenager asked, rubbing his head, and wondering why his scar felt so sore, like it was bruised. "Anyway, who are you guys, and where am I?"_

 _The quartet looked at each other, before finally, Leon shrugged. "I am Leon. This is Aerith Gainsborough, that is Cid Highwind, and that is Yuffie Kisaragi." Leon indicated the brown-haired young woman, the older man, and then the girl about his age, who had short dark hair, and Asiatic-looking features, on which a cocky-looking smirk was plastered, respectively. "We comprise most of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee."_

 _"Hollow Bastion? Where is that? Britain? America? You sound American," the teenager said._

 _After a moment, Cid pinched the bridge of his nose. "Damn. Well, we know one thing. He's definitely not from this world. Merlin's yammered on about how he helped teach and advise the King of Britain."_

 _The teenager frowned. "Wait, Merlin? But Merlin died years ago! I mean…"_

 _"Rumours of my death, my dear boy, have been greatly exaggerated," came an ancient voice, and someone who looked too much like Dumbledore, albeit in far less eye-gouging robes, walked in. Long white beard, sky blue robes, dotty and eccentric-looking…yeah, too much of a resemblance for his liking. "Still, I have to say, it's rare that someone from Lost Avalon(_ _1)_ _ends up in another world, given that the Keyhole there should be firmly shut." He moved close, and peered into the teenager's eyes. "Though I do keep an eye on events there. Dear oh dear, this is troublesome. I know who you are…and you have my sympathies for being roped into becoming their saviour."_

 _"You know this guy, Merlin?" Yuffie asked._

 _"Indeed I do. His name is…"_

* * *

"…M-I-C, K-E-Y, M-O-U-S-E(2)!"

"Please stop that," the diminutive, big-eared figure in the dark hooded coat next to him said with a wince in his falsetto voice as they walked through the main railway station of Twilight Town. "Leaving aside the fact that I'm meant to be incognito, that song has gotten annoying the more times you sing it."

"Hey, in the unlikely event that I ever meet anyone from home, who would believe that I have trolled Mickey Mouse himself, huh? Anyway, blame Walt Disney for the Mouseketeers. Seriously, Merlin's explanation as to how Disney came to be…if I hear terms like 'recursive memetic resonance' and 'the Universal Egregore' once more, I will shave his beard off. Again."

"I once tried doing that to Master Yen Sid," Mickey Mouse remarked wistfully, before chuckling. "It did not end well."

"I'm sure it didn't. Still, at least Yen Sid and Merlin aren't as stubborn about Nobodies as DiZ was," the green-eyed teenager remarked, before adopting as deep a voice as he could, mocking with a bitter tone. " _Nobodies do not have a right to know, nor do they have a right to_ _ **be**_ _._ " Scoffing quietly, he muttered, "Wanker. Ansem the Wise my arse."

"Mind your language," Mickey chided gently. "But you are right…my old friend has fallen far, thanks to the betrayal of Xehanort and his apprentices. If he had stayed around after you rescued the others, I would be having words with him."

"So would I," said a third member of their party, a boy with light brown, spiky hair, and deep blue eyes. A scowl marred his features.

"We all have our issues with DiZ," a blonde-haired, rather waif-like girl said. "Well, save for Xion."

The fifth member of their party, a dark-haired girl, looked down ruefully at her own clothes. "I'm not sure how I even exist anymore. Not that I'm complaining."

"Don't ask me, Xion," the green-eyed teen said. "I'm sure Hermione would know…" Then, his face fell. "If she's still even…"

"Your friend will still be alive," Mickey said, with a gentle tone that was nonetheless filled with utter conviction, and the green-eyed teen was reminded of why Mickey Mouse, contrary to what he usually was in the cartoons Disney pumped out, was both a leader and a warrior. "All your friends will be."

That was a pretty empty platitude, but the green-eyed teenager liked Mickey Mouse more than the other mentor figures he had in his life, so he didn't comment on it, any further than a disgruntled huff. At least Mickey Mouse cared. And he wouldn't ask his subordinates to do something he wouldn't do himself, like get his hands dirty, even if it was mostly towards Heartless and Nobodies.

"In any case," Mickey said, "we need to send Sora, Donald, and Goofy to Master Yen Sid's tower via the special train. With them just awoken…"

"I'm glad it's finally over," the blonde girl said quietly. "My debt to Sora is now paid."

"Organization XIII took advantage of you, Naminé," Mickey declared. "You desired a connection to others, and they exploited that. What you did was wrong, but that you recognise it and attempt to redeem yourself for it goes a long way."

"I know, it's just…" Naminé's eyes widened. "Nobodies, a swarm of them outside the station! And Sora and the others are being attacked!"

"Right. Xion, look after Naminé!" the green-eyed teenager barked. Then, he, along with the brown-haired boy and Mickey, sped out of the station…

* * *

Sora grimaced as exhaustion took its toll. These weird things in silver bodysuits (or were they the actual bodies of the creatures?) were dancing around him, Donald, and Goofy, moving in weird, unpredictable ways, their humanoid bodies warping and stretching in an unnatural manner. There were so many of them, he and his friends were being overwhelmed.

It was partly being asleep for a whole year that did it, he reckoned. He didn't know why, or how he ended up in that weird pod underneath the abandoned mansion. A mansion on the outskirts of a place called Twilight Town. And it was weird, the sense of déjà vu he had felt on emerging, to find that he had grown, that his voice was breaking. And the only clue was a mysterious note Jiminy Cricket couldn't remember writing in his journal: _Thank Naminé_.

The King had been spotted, searching for Sora, though Pence and Olette, the two kids their age they had met (a third, Hayner, had gone off in a sullen huff, for them intruding on their 'secret spot'), had told them that four others accompanied the King. None matched the descriptions of Riku. One seemed to sound a bit like Kairi, but why would she be accompanying King Mickey?

As the creatures closed in, Sora raised his Keyblade, ready to defend himself against the inevitable onslaught, only for a trio of figures to burst out of the train station they were fighting in, all dressed in dark, hooded cloaks. One was short, diminutive, with the distinctive large round ears Sora had glimpsed what felt like a fresh memory, and yet also felt like an eternity ago. The other two were…odd.

One of them seemed vaguely familiar, with the light brown hair and the deep blue eyes, fighting determinedly, using two Keyblades, of all things! One light, the other dark. The other had a messy thatch of black hair with a white streak through it, emerald eyes flashing behind glasses, a year or so older than Sora. A faded scar snaked its way from beneath his fringe, like a lightning bolt. He raised his Keyblade and snarled, "REDUCTO!" A jet of light smashed into one of the creatures, and punched a hole through it, causing it to dissipate. The Keyblade was red and gold in colour, with a feather-shaped part protruding from the blade.

Between the three newcomers, they decimated the remaining creatures fairly quickly. "The Organization is moving fast," the dark-haired teenager remarked, as he cast healing magic at Sora, Donald, and Goofy, handing the belligerent duck mage an Ether to replenish his MP. "They sent these Dusks and Creepers to attack them, hoping to catch them off-guard while they were still recovering from their little nap. What do you reckon, Roxas?"

"They're testing Sora," the brown-haired boy said. "If they really wanted him dead that badly, they'd send higher-level Nobodies. Or send one of the Organization proper."

"We're running out of time," King Mickey said, before he looked over to Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "Guys, I know you're pleased to see me, and you have a lot of questions, but time's of the essence. You've gotta board the train and leave town. It knows the way. These two will help you, as will the girls." He then chucked a pouch to Sora, who caught it.

"Hey, isn't that…?!" the brown-haired boy yelped.

"Yeah, that's the one the emo nicked off you, Roxas," the dark-haired boy said. "Mickey, you've got my number. Call if something goes wrong."

Mickey nodded, and then said to the others, "See ya!" He then hurried away.

"But Your Majesty…!" Donald complained in his raspy voice.

"Hey, he's doing some stuff of his own," the dark-haired teenager said. "Official King Mickey business. Look, there's a lot to take in, I understand that. But we're on the clock. The train is taking you to the tower of Yen Sid, but we'll be briefing you along the way. It's a very long story, even abridged. And for what it's worth, Sora, you have my sympathies. I know what it's like to be dropped in the deep end, left to sink or swim."

Sora, after a moment, looked at Donald and Goofy. "Can we trust these guys?" he asked.

"Well, the King was with 'em," Goofy mused. "And Master Yen Sid was the tutor of the King."

"Yeah, but those outfits look suspicious," Donald grumbled.

"Not surprising," the dark-haired teen remarked. "Leaving aside the colour scheme, there really are some rather nasty guys going around wearing these coats. They're a bit of a necessary evil when you're in realms of darkness for a while. And if you had all your memories, well, let's just say you'd find it harder to trust us. You haven't actually met Roxas and I before, though you've met one of our number, Naminé. Not that you'd remember her."

"Naminé?" Sora asked. "Jiminy said there was a message in his journal to thank Naminé."

"Yeah. It's a long story, like I said, and we don't have much time. Our other party member is Xion. Xion, Roxas, and Naminé all have a connection to you, Sora."

"And what about you?" Donald asked querulously. "Who are you?"

"I was…well, I am a wizard from another world. What's left of him, anyway. I doubt you've been to my world. Merlin called it Lost Avalon. And I doubt you know my name. Unlike most Nobodies, I'm not doing the whole 'anagram plus an X' thing they seem to be doing. I think that's what Yuffie calls a ' _chunibyou_ ' phase, really(3). My name's Harry Potter. And it's good to meet you three at long last…"

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's a Nobody, and for some reason, Roxas, Xion and Naminé are accompanying him. So, what does this mean for the Boy Who Lived?**

 **1\. This is what sakurademonalchemist called the Potterverse in her story** ** _Memories of Nobody_** **.**

 **2\. Harry is, of course, singing the Mickey Mouse Club March. To troll Mickey Mouse.**

 **3\. A** ** _chunibyou_** **(well, properly transliterated to** ** _chuunibyou_** **) is basically, well, an overly dramatic adolescent phase, or something like it (as it can be said to affect adults). Basically, being pretentious and dark, thinking one is cool.**


	3. Chapter 2: Two Different Chosen Ones

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **TWO DIFFERENT CHOSEN ONES**

Sora stared at Harry, who was sitting across from him as they travelled on the train out of Twilight Town. "Let me get this straight. You guys are all what they call Nobodies, beings without a Heart, but you're on our side, and three of you can wield Keyblades. Some Nobodies, part of this Organization XIII, trapped me in a castle, tampered with my memories with Naminé's help, and when they were defeated, Naminé wanted to restore our memories back to the way they were."

Harry nodded. "That's about the size of it."

"You made the choice to discard your memories of what happened in Castle Oblivion, to retain your old memories," Naminé said quietly.

"And you're a Nobody of Kairi?" Sora asked. And then he pointed to Roxas and Xion. "And you're my Nobodies?"

Roxas nodded wearily. "It's a very long and complicated story. I wouldn't even be here as my own person if it weren't for Harry. Same for Xion. We'll probably have to go our separate ways after we return to Hollow Bastion. Organization XIII will be trying to eliminate both of us. I'm a traitor to them, and Xion outlived her usefulness."

"Gawrsh, it's very tricky. And I didn't even think that the Ansem we met had stolen the name of the real Ansem!" Goofy remarked.

"The real Ansem is only our ally insomuch as he wants to see the Organization taken down," Harry said. "But he wants to destroy all Nobodies. Guilt by association, mixed in with revulsion at our very existence. He doesn't even want to believe that we can regain our Hearts, after a fashion. It took a while for the guys at Hollow Bastion to get used to me, never mind Yen Sid, but DiZ, he's so rabidly anti-Nobody…he wanted Naminé dead once her use was ended."

"And Riku?" Sora asked.

"He's against Organization XIII, not Nobodies," Harry said. "He's still alive, but he's working with the King behind the scenes. He made Mickey promise to not tell you what happened to him. Let's just say he looks different. Very different. He was in Castle Oblivion at the same time as you, apparently, and things went wrong. Anyway, Roxas, while he knows the identities of the members of Organization XIII, doesn't know what their plans are."

"About that, how did Roxas survive when his memories were grafted back onto Sora?" Donald asked.

"I don't know, exactly," Harry said, summoning his Keyblade to his hand. "But my Keyblade, Phoenix Rebirth, might have had something to do with it. All I know is, Roxas and Xion, for now at least, effectively count as familiars to me, my magic is keeping them in existence, a bit like the summon magic of these worlds. So does Naminé, but she doesn't need as strong an anchor to keep her in existence. Just enough so that, once we see Kairi, she doesn't merge with her. Anyway, I'm not complaining about a best case scenario happening. Or at least close enough."

"Are you gonna be helpin' us on our journey?" Goofy asked.

"Not directly. Once we're back at Hollow Bastion and I've left Naminé in the care of Leon and the others, Roxas, Xion and I are going to take the fight to Organization XIII. While going into the World that Never Was will be risky, there are other places affected by the Organization. Your task is to concentrate on the Heartless incursions, while we're dealing with whatever Organization XIII is cooking up, as well as investigating the labs Ansem the Wise used, seeing if there's any useful data he left behind, or his impostor. We'll probably encounter each other a few times, though."

Roxas nodded. "Our first port of call is to the Beast's Castle. I know Xaldin had plans involving the Beast."

Sora shook his head. "This is a lot to take in. And you said you were famous on your own world? What was that like?"

"Like shit," Harry said bluntly. "Imagine only learning you're famous at the age of eleven, and having people turn on you just as much as they'd want to praise you. And having no parents. I mean, I'd go back if I can, but…only long enough to stop Voldemort…"

* * *

Not long afterwards, they ended up at Yen Sid's tower. To their shock, one of Maleficent's minions, Pete, was there. They disposed of the Heartless Pete summoned, and then, entered the tower, going up.

They eventually reached the top of the tower, and found themselves in the presence of Yen Sid. Harry remembered this wizened old wizard as being the one from _The Sorcerer's Apprentice_ segment of _Fantasia_. Yen Sid had taken time to warm up to Harry, what with Harry being a Nobody, but he came round in time.

After briefing Sora, Donald, and Goofy on what Harry and the others hadn't covered, he sent them through to another room, to get new clothes. Harry knew that the fairy godmothers from _Sleeping Beauty_ were there. He then turned his attention to Harry. "What am I to do with you?" he remarked. "You go to Twilight Town to find out what this DiZ is up to, only to come back with three more Nobodies, including two ex-members of Organization XIII."

"DiZ was going to force the erasure of Roxas, and ordered Naminé's execution," Harry said. "Xion coming back into existence was a happy accident. I'm not sure what happened, only that my Keyblade and my magic were involved."

Yen Sid nodded sagely, even as they heard the fairies bickering in the other room. "As I discussed with you before, I have heard rumours that each of the members of Organization XIII have an attribute, an element if you will, attached to them. With Roxas here, I can tell his element is Light. Yours, Harry, appears to be Life/Death, symbolised by the Phoenix Rebirth Keyblade, the one that formed from your former wand. You have given life to these Nobodies beyond when their time was due to pass. Not quite resurrection, but rather, a sustainment. Still, the fact remains that Organization XIII will be tracking down Roxas to eliminate him, and I doubt that Xion or Naminé are free from danger."

"I've agreed to stay at Hollow Bastion once we reach there," Naminé said. "My abilities in combat are close to nothing. My power is through changing the links of memories."

"It's still a potent power, especially if not confined to Sora," Yen Sid said. "Roxas, Xion, are you willing to face your former allies?"

"They're no allies of mine," Roxas said grimly. "I'd try to get Axel to our side, and maybe Demyx, but everyone else, well…"

Naminé nodded. "Of the thirteen members, five of them are dead: Number 4, Vexen, Number 5, Lexaeus, Number 6, Zexion, Number 11, Marluxia, and Number 12, Larxene. That means there are seven left, not counting Roxas. Or Xion."

"And you do not know of the Organization's main plan?" Yen Sid asked Roxas.

"Only that it involves Sora, the Keyblade, and Kingdom Hearts," Roxas said. "I was pretty low on the pecking order in Organization XIII."

"Indeed." Yen Sid smiled sadly. "Did my former student ever tell you you resembled someone I've met?"

"Yes, he said something about me looking like someone called Ventus," Roxas said.

"Indeed. Ventus was the ward and student of Master Eraqus, one of the finest Keyblade Masters to ever live, even if he was somewhat quixotic, and obsessed with darkness needing to be eradicated. It is true that the darkness is harmful, but to completely eliminate darkness is to eliminate the light as well. Ventus…lost his Heart after a gruelling battle. Eraqus himself perished not long beforehand, and his students have all disappeared too."

"Mickey said he met Aqua while travelling through the Realms of Darkness," Harry said. "She saved him and Riku from a bunch of ornery Heartless."

"Then that is some good news, at least," Yen Sid said. "I feared the worst when Aqua disappeared..."

* * *

Not long afterwards, Sora emerged. Harry had to admit, his new outfit was pretty snazzy, even if it had way too many belts and buckles. Then again, that seemed to be the norm in this universe he had ended up in.

Yen Sid gestured them over, and pointed out the window. The distinctive colourful blocky shape of a Gummi Ship rose up nearby. He then explained how Sora, Donald and Goofy would be able to travel between worlds.

"Hang on a moment," Goofy mused, tapping the side of his head. "The Gummi Ship held the three of us no problem. But what about Harry, Roxas, Naminé, and Xion?"

"Nobodies can utilise Corridors of Darkness with ease," Harry said. "Well, with relative ease. Mickey and Riku know how to use them, but they're dangerous. Nobodies have less of a problem usually, but we wear these coats to protect us from the worst effects of the darkness within these corridors."

"And Naminé?" Sora asked.

"I'll be fine," Naminé said with a smile. "I'm only making the one trip with them…"

* * *

The trip through the Corridor of Darkness was, thankfully, uneventful, though Harry, Roxas, and Xion made sure they kept Naminé between the three of them. Harry had passed through the Corridors of Darkness enough times to know that Heartless and Nobodies had a tendency to attack. And that was without going into the corrosive nature of the darkness within these domains.

Harry had travelled these realms more than a few times. It had become, rather disturbingly, second-nature to him. Then again, becoming a Nobody meant he was caught between the darkness and the light. A twilight existence where he was a hollow man, stuffed with straw. Ironic that a Heartless was actually a Heart, consumed by darkness and malevolence, while a Nobody had a body, but no Heart.

It was even more of a surprise when his emotions seemed to come back to him…and naturally, at that. It felt less like he was imitating emotions, and more like he was expressing them again.

Of course, with that came the guilt. It had been several months since he fell through the Veil, and Merlin had been unable to witness more than fragments of events back home (this had been a problem since a number of his magical items had been stolen by Heartless years ago). Merlin had no idea of how the war against Voldemort was going, and they had no idea how Harry could get back. The Keyhole for Lost Avalon had been locked long ago, with Heartless incursions rare on that world. But it meant he had no way of knowing what had happened to the Weasleys, Hermione, Luna, Sirius and Remus, Tonks, Neville and his other friends and allies. The last time he saw Ron, he was being molested by those weird brain things, and Hermione had gone down with a curse to her torso.

It had taken the cavalry long enough to get there. Snape must have taken his sweet time. But the anger he felt towards Snape and Umbridge (and Dumbledore, for that matter, for being at his most ineffectual that year) was almost matched by Harry's own guilt and self-reproach. He should have realised that it was a trap, one he had waltzed right into.

Still, there had been plenty who helped him work through the pain and misery as he regained his memories. The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee were his key helpers in that regard. Well, Cid was a bit gruff, and Leon, whose real name was apparently Squall, was a bit hands-off, even if he was genuinely compassionate. And there was the somewhat sparing sympathy of Cloud Strife, an acquaintance of theirs who was something of a loner, obsessed with his own inner darkness. Merlin and Aerith helped counsel Harry more, Merlin drawing on his experience of counselling people like King Arthur, while Aerith just had a generally kind nature.

Probably one of his biggest helps, though, was Yuffie. After a rocky beginning, the two developed a friendship of sorts, initially based around mutual snark, but eventually growing into something more. Yuffie reminded him a little of Ginny, albeit without the fangirl tendencies. She had the same spunk and fire, though she also liked to refer to herself as 'the Great Ninja Yuffie'. Then, a couple of months ago, they started dating, going out for dinner, walking around Hollow Bastion, and killing Heartless that decided to play gooseberry.

Still, it was interesting having a ninja as a girlfriend. And they had admitted recently that they actually were boyfriend and girlfriend. Aerith had been ecstatic, while Leon and Cid had taken Harry aside and threatened him with a shallow grave if he ever hurt Yuffie. Leon effectively was her adoptive big brother, and Cid her adoptive father, when they all fled Hollow Bastion for Traverse Town years ago.

As he exited the Corridor of Darkness, Harry found Cid typing at his computer terminal, while Aerith and Leon looked on. "Hey," Harry called out. "Where's Yuffie?"

"She's out on patrol. There's increased Heartless activity throughout the town. It's been setting off the automated defence systems," Leon said, looking over to them, and noting the new arrivals. "Care to explain these three?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Long story. Short version? Sora's awake. And Roxas and Xion are basically his Nobodies. Naminé is Kairi's. It's a very long story, but Mickey and Yen Sid have vouched for them. Roxas and Xion are defectors from Organization XIII. Anyway, Sora, Donald and Goofy should be here soon by Gummi Ship. Any luck on accessing Ansem's lab?"

"Workin' on it," Cid said. "Ansem was pretty paranoid, locking everything up. Even a Keyblade can't unlock it, and that's pretty impressive. And annoying. It'll take a week longer. Maybe less if we're lucky."

"I ran into the real Ansem, not that impostor Sora defeated," Harry said. "He's fallen pretty far."

"Sounds like quite the story," Leon said. "I'll want to hear it later."

"What actually happened to Ansem?" Aerith asked.

"He hates Nobodies," Roxas said with a shrug. "Even if they don't want anything to do with Organization XIII."

"Anyway, we were going to leave Naminé here for safekeeping, and then head out to try and find out more about the activities of Organization XIII," Harry said. Then, a smirk touched his lips. "And trolling them. I nearly got caught the last time I was in the World that Never Was, but it was worth it."

"…Wait…were you the one who knocked out Saïx, glued werewolf prosthetics to his face, and left…some sort of medicine by his bedside?"

Xion snickered. "It was medicine for relieving _period pain_ , Roxas."

Aerith looked at Harry, raising an eyebrow, and looking torn between laughing and being put off. Aerith, for all her demure nature, had an impish streak a mile wide. "Rather crude of you, Harry, even by your standards."

"Hey, that idiot pissed me off by harassing me, trying to conscript me into Organization XIII while I was trying to have a date with Yuffie on the beach near Twilight Town," Harry said. "I told him to put that damned war hammer where the sun didn't shine, and he took issue with that." His smirk widened into a vicious grin. "Say what you like about the spells of my world, with the mangled Latin, but he wasn't expecting a quick Apparition and a Stunner. I used a Memory Charm or two as well, to make him forget about coming after me, given how he threatened Yuffie. I wish I used more, so he forgot other things. Like his toilet training."

"And what you did to DiZ?" Naminé asked, a wry smirk touching her own features.

"Hey, he sounded like Christopher Lee, he deserves looking like some ripoff of Dracula," Harry snarked(1). "And to have bowel troubles for the next couple of weeks. Given that he tried to kill you and Roxas, and seemed to consider doing so to me, despite my being Mickey's ally, it's more than he deserved. I only went easy on him to teach him a lesson, and because he was once Mickey's friend. Next time, I'm dragging him through that Corridor of Darkness Cloud showed me to Olympus Colosseum, and having him do the Phil Workout Special(2). And THAT'S if I'm feeling merciful. Speaking of which, Hades is well overdue for having another bucket of ice water poured over that burning scalp of his."

"Didn't you say your school motto translates to 'never tickle a sleeping dragon'?" Leon asked.

"I've never been one to take good advice," Harry remarked.

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry and the others have filled in Sora, Donald and Goofy, and are back in Hollow Bastion.**

 **1\. Considering that the late, great Christopher Lee did voice DiZ in** ** _Kingdom Hearts II_** **and** ** _358/2 Days_** **, I thought I'd make a reference to that.**

 **2\. Something Aqua and Xion/Tania did to many students, especially Ron Weasley, in sakurademonalchemist's** ** _Memories of Nobody_** **.**


	4. Chapter 3: Ninja and Nobody

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **NINJA AND NOBODY**

Sometime after, Yuffie came in, followed by Sora, Donald, and Goofy, and ran over and hugged him. "Hey, I missed you!"

Harry smiled, gently returning the enthusiastic embrace of the ninja girl. "Me too. Nothing bad happen while I was away?"

"Not really. There's increased Heartless activity, but, well, Leon probably told you already." She broke off the hug, and peered at the others. "Hey, so this is what Sora meant when he said you had company. Should I be jealous?"

"Nope. Yuffie, meet Roxas, Xion, and Naminé. Remember how you guys had that weird episode of remembering Sora, Donald and Goofy all at once, not so long ago? Well, let's just say Naminé was involved."

* * *

In abbreviated form, Harry and Sora explained more about what happened to the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, with Roxas, Xion and Naminé chipping in. Leon pinched the bridge of his nose. "And that's the abridged version?"

"Yeah. Bright side is, Organization XIII is down to half its membership," Harry said. "The problem is, those who are left still include their more powerful members."

Roxas nodded. "Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Saïx…not that Axel, Demyx or Luxord are pushovers, but those four are monsters."

"Sounds like fun," Cid remarked sarcastically.

Donald rolled his eyes, before the diminutive duck asked, "Has the King or Riku made their way through here?"

"We've seen the King a couple of times with Harry, but no sign of Riku," Yuffie said. "Mickey has his own mission. He was searching for Ansem the Wise, but…"

"Yeah, if what you're saying is true, he must've fallen far," Cid said. "Not as far as that impostor, but…"

"I asked Mickey about that. Apparently the impostor originally called himself Xehanort, which was weird, as Mickey claimed he knew of some old Keyblade Master called Xehanort, and they looked pretty different. Xehanort's Heartless was mostly dealt with, apparently, when he tried to reach Kingdom Hearts, but I'm guessing his Nobody is Organization XIII's leader, Xemnas. But yeah, the real Ansem…well, we can count on him to work against Organization XIII. That's about it. Anyway, Mickey's looking to disrupt the operations of Organization XIII, and he's asked me to do the same. I'm leaving Naminé here because she doesn't really have combat ability," Harry said.

"I can help out in any way I can," the blonde waif-like Nobody said. "But I'm not much of a fighter, I'm afraid."

"Oh, that's right, I forgot. Here." Harry handed Naminé a box, which she eagerly opened.

"Art supplies and drawings?" Yuffie asked when she saw what was revealed.

"Naminé likes drawing," Harry said. "It's part of how she uses her powers, but she finds it therapeutic to just draw anyway."

"Anyway," Leon said, trying to get the conversation back on track, "we'd like your help with a few things, Sora. Hollow Bastion has major infestations of Heartless and Nobodies. More the former than the latter, but, well, we could use your help."

"Sure," Sora said with a grin. "Did you need to ask?"

"That's right," Leon remarked sardonically. "I forgot who I was talking to."

"And just what do you mean by that?" Donald rasped.

"It's just Leon's way of making a compliment," Aerith said with her usual warm smile.

Leon nodded. "Harry's done quite a bit to help during your sleep, Sora, but it would be great to have more hands on deck. Anyway, follow me to the Bailey. It's not far from here. I need to show you something."

As the scarred young man walked out, Merlin appeared in a puff of smoke. "Ah!" he yelped upon seeing Sora, Donald and Goofy. "I thought you had come by now! Looks like I'm right on time!"

After Sora, Donald and Goofy made their greetings to the ancient wizard, and Aerith gave them some Restoration Committee Membership Cards, they went to see Leon. Merlin then turned his attention to Harry and the three Nobodies accompanying him. "Yen Sid has notified me of the situation," Merlin said after introductions were made. "He's had to leave his tower in a hurry, along with the three fairies. Apparently Maleficent revived right inside the tower, and while he drove her off, a rather major Heartless infestation has come to his tower thanks to her, and he's left for an impromptu holiday."

"Maleficent?" Harry asked. "Didn't you say Sora kicked her sorry scaled arse into nothing after a possessed Riku turned her into a Keyblade shish kebab?"

"Well, she is even more tenacious than Voldemort, and that's saying something," Merlin huffed. "You have that communications device to speak with King Mickey, don't you?"

"Sort of. I'll send a text message. We agreed to do that unless it's an emergency, just in case I call him during an emergency. Like fighting off a giant Heartless."

Merlin nodded. "Very wise." He then walked over to the three other Nobodies, and peered at them. "Two Keyblade Wielders, and a girl who can tamper with the chains of memories. My word, Roxas, you do look a lot like Ventus. I only met him and his comrades briefly, before Hollow Bastion fell to the Heartless."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, hey, Merlin, can I borrow my boyfriend for a bit?" Yuffie said.

"Why, of course," Merlin said. "I'll talk to Harry later…"

* * *

Hollow Bastion was a strange mix of the modern and the medieval, like an old-style castle town with technology similar to that back home, and sometimes even more advanced. Looming over the town was the massive castle that gave the world its name, once the residence of Ansem the Wise, along with many of his researchers, courtiers, and some local families. Kairi, apparently, had originally come from Hollow Bastion, according to Merlin, and she was one of the Princesses of Heart that included other Princesses from fairy tales and stories, particularly those from Disney films.

Anyway, Yuffie, being a ninja, liked to walk on the roofs of the houses of Hollow Bastion, being into freerunning and parkour. Harry, while nowhere near as good as her in that regard, had trained alongside her, and helped by years of 'Harry Hunting' by Dudley, had become at least competent. So he liked to go on walks with her along the rooftops of Hollow Bastion.

It wasn't the only change. Since his wand became a Keyblade, he found himself learning how to use the strange, mystic sword. True, a lot of it seemed to be ingrained instinct, as if possessing one conferred much of the skill needed to wield it in combat. Training under Mickey and Yen Sid helped hone that, and that was only Keyblade-specific combat. Leon, Yuffie and Aerith helped teach him combat too. Merlin taught him magic, the combat magic more common to these worlds. And while he still used magic from back home, the magic here worked well enough for dealing with Heartless and Nobodies.

As they leapt across the rooftops, Harry glanced down into the market that had been set up in one part of the town. Huey, Dewey, and Louie were manning stores selling weapons, armour, and items, Moogles (fairy creatures that looked like teddy bears with small wings, a big red nose, and a red pom-pom-like ornament on an antenna depending from their head) running a Synthesis workshop (he really needed to drop off the items he found after defeating some Heartless and Nobodies), and Scrooge McDuck frowning as he watched an ice cream maker mix his latest attempt at recreating his particular favourite blend of Sea Salt Ice Cream. It wasn't exactly bustling, and things were a little subdued, given that Heartless attacked the town on a daily basis, but it was still a good place.

As they slowed down on the rooftops, Harry asked, "What do you think Leon wanted to talk to Sora and the others about?"

"Probably the horde of Heartless in the Great Maw," Yuffie said. "Anyway, what was with those strays? I mean, if Merlin's friend and Mickey vouch for them, it's fine, but seriously, how did you go to investigate this DiZ guy and end up with three Nobodies coming back with you?"

"We explained it earlier…though if you're asking exactly how, even Yen Sid doesn't know. His best guess was my attribute as a Nobody, and my Keyblade. In my personal opinion…it's just my weird luck playing up again."

"Yeah, you do have a lot of that," Yuffie chuckled, before they came to a stop near one of the town's walls. It was their favourite spot to have a talk. "Still…with two defectors from Organization XIII and a Nobody with really scary memory powers here…well, it'd paint a bigger target on our backs. I'm not saying you did the wrong thing. Hell, we've been targets for Organization XIII just by existing, never mind taking you in. But hey, I like to live dangerously."

"You probably would have been in Gryffindor, then," Harry said with an affectionate roll of his eyes. "I would have thought a true ninja would have been a Slytherin, though, without the nasty bits. You need a lot of cunning to be a ninja."

"Hey, don't diss me!" Yuffie yelped in mock outrage, giving him a light, playful punch to the shoulder.

"Hey, you've got a big ego, going around calling yourself 'the Great Ninja Yuffie'. I've gotta deflate it," Harry said, smirking. To which she poked her tongue out at him, as a mature and well thought out rebuttal. They laughed together as they sat on the wall.

"So…if you can get back to your old world…will you stay there?" Yuffie asked.

"We've been over this, Yuffie. I'll stick around long enough to deal with Voldemort at least. Beyond that, I don't know. Anyway…" Suddenly, alarm bells began ringing in the distance, and the pair of them shot to their feet.

"The Bailey!" Yuffie snapped. "There must be a major incursion there!"

* * *

They raced to the Bailey in time to have the gate there, meant to lock during certain emergencies, reopen. They could hear, in the distance, a deep, mellifluous voice. "…Truly marvellous weapon…A shame it does not rest in more capable hands…"

A series of jeering laughs chorused as Harry and Yuffie reached Sora, Leon, Donald and Goofy, who were peering up at a nearby wall, whereupon a sextet of figures in familiar dark hooded coats appeared. "Organization XIII!" Goofy yelped.

"Maybe we should settle this," Sora growled, his Keyblade at the ready.

"And I thought we could be friends," remarked the deep-voiced one. "A shame. Then, given the company you keep…" This last comment was directed against Harry, who was glaring up at them. "A traitor to his own kind, like Roxas…and it seems Axel has gone the same way."

"At least I'm not afraid to show my face…Xehanort."

This caused the figure in the centre of the group to pause, before remarking, "A name I have long since discarded."

"Xemnas sounds crappy compared to Xehanort, just saying," Harry said. "You sound like some sort of pain relief gel."

A scoff. "Your insolence is amusing, traitor. Still, whether you interfere with us or now, our plans will go smoothly. Wriggle and writhe in your own ignorance, fool." And with another jeering chorus of laughter, they disappeared.

Sora went to pursue them, only for one of them to materialise in his way. "Whoops!"

"Get out of the way!" Sora snapped.

"Now, that ain't polite at all," drawled the man, not Xemnas, given the voice.

"Neither's causing mayhem and havoc on other worlds," Harry retorted.

"Yeah, like you're one to talk," the man said. "I mean, it was funny as hell, what you did to Saïx, but he wants to shove that war hammer of his where only colorectal surgeons dare to go. Anyway, you think you guys can go up against me?"

"I dunno," Harry said. "Which one are you: Xaldin? Xigbar?"

"Ha! Canny little bastard, aren't you? Xigbar, if you must know. And I'm Xemnas' right hand man. You don't get that position unless you can back it up."

Sora scoffed, glaring at Xigbar. "That's funny, considering that you had your Nobody minions do all the dirty work while you watched and ate popcorn."

"As if! You wanna reminder of how tough we are?"

"Reminder?" Sora asked, his glare intensifying, only for Xigbar to laugh.

"That's it! He used to give me the same look!"

"He?" Sora asked.

"He means Roxas. He's trying to psyche you out," Harry said.

"Maybe I am, and maybe I ain't. Either way, be good boys and girls now!" And with that, he vanished into a Corridor of Darkness, though not before Donald tried to attack him.

As the duck snarled curses, Harry looked at Sora. "They don't know Roxas or the others are still around. It'll probably come out if I encounter one of the Organization with Roxas and Xion in tow on another world, but keep quiet about Roxas still being alive for now."

Sora, after a moment, nodded. "Got it. Wait…do you think they can travel to the Destiny Islands?"

"That's your homeworld, isn't it?" Harry asked. On Sora's nod, Harry said, "It's very likely. Why?"

"Well…if they find Kairi…"

"You think she might be used as a hostage," Leon said.

"Yeah. Harry…is it possible for you to find the Destiny Islands, and bring Kairi somewhere safe?" Sora asked.

"I'll try. And you're right, Kairi wouldn't just make a good hostage. She's also a Princess of Heart, according to Merlin, which means she's an even more valuable target. But did you hear what they said? Axel may have turned traitor too. Keep an eye out for him. Tall, lanky, has spiky red hair and green eyes, uses chakrams and pyrokinesis. He might be an ally, especially if he learns Roxas is still alive."

"Gawrsh, so we tell him that Roxas is still alive? Will that help?" Goofy asked.

"It's risky. But better to have someone like him on our side than on Xemnas'," Harry said. "Anyway, Naminé may be able to draw you a picture. I'm pretty sure she encountered him at Castle Oblivion more than once…"

* * *

Sora, as it happened, unlocked a means to travel between worlds via one of the Restoration Committee Membership Cards he had been given. Sora, Donald, and Goofy headed back to the Restoration Committee's HQ to get a drawing of Axel, just in case, while Leon spoke with Harry and Yuffie. "I didn't get to tell Sora, but…the activity at the Villains' Vale has increased." Leon pointed to a decrepit castle in the distance, used by Maleficent as her headquarters when she wasn't using Hollow Bastion itself. "And I mean over the last hour or so."

"Activity?" Harry peered at the castle, taking the binoculars Leon proffered. "Yeah, the Heartless look more restless than usual. Given what Merlin said, maybe Maleficent's stirring them up."

"Yeesh, as if we didn't have enough problems already," Yuffie remarked. "Can't that Witch with a Capital B just stay dead?"

"If it were that easy, it wouldn't have taken a Keyblade Wielder to take her down," Leon scowled. "Between her and Organization XIII…"

"Roxas and Xion will come with me to Beast's Castle," Harry said. "Apparently Xaldin's taking an interest in him, and we don't need him turning into a Heartless and a Nobody. After that, I'll see if I can bring Kairi here, just in case. Then, well, I dunno, maybe we could scupper more of the Organization's plans, or maybe Mickey will need our help for something."

"Well, this time, you're not going alone!" Yuffie snapped. "And I don't just mean with those two Nobodies. Leon, I'm going with him."

"Is that wise, Yuffie? He goes from world to world via the Corridors of Darkness, and those are dangerous, even to Nobodies," Leon said, crossing his arms, as Harry gaped at Yuffie for declaring such a thing.

"Hey, I'm getting sick and tired of sticking around Hollow Bastion all the time, especially with other worlds out there needing help. Anyway, you can do without me for a few days, right? And if things get really bad, you can send a message to Harry's phone."

"I guess. There's no stopping you, is there?" Leon asked wearily, knowing better than to stop her. "Fine. But when travelling through those Corridors of Darkness, you do as Harry says."

"Don't I get a vote?" Harry asked.

"I'm vetoing it," Yuffie said, poking her tongue out at him. "Besides, you've only known Roxas and Xion for what, a day or two? I worry about you Harry, and I'd rest easier knowing I'm watching your back."

Harry sighed in resignation. Yeah, there really was no stopping Yuffie when she put her mind to something. Still, there were worse people to travel with, he knew…

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Organization XIII have made an appearance, and Yuffie's decided to tag along with Harry, Roxas and Xion.**

 **Now, Harry won't be intervening in all events of** ** _Kingdom Hearts II_** **, but he will participate in a few stages, either instead of, or alongside, Sora. He will do Beast's Castle, for example, with Sora coming in shortly after Harry and company have dealt with Xaldin's pet Heartless…**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	5. Chapter 4: The Rose, the Beauty, and the

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **THE ROSE, THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST**

Yuffie grimaced as she plucked at the coat she was wearing as they walked through the Corridor of Darkness. "I mean, it's not like it's _bad_ , it just feels a bit…tacky."

"What, because Organization XIII wears it?" Harry asked.

"Kinda."

"It protects your body from corruption by the darkness. Think of it like a spacesuit or a hazmat suit," Harry said. "Nobodies have some innate protection, but, well, constant vigilance and all that."

"What, like that teacher of yours?" Yuffie asked.

Harry nodded, wondering idly how well Mad-Eye Moody was faring. Probably better than most others back home. Trying to shake his mind from what was going to be a depressing subject, he said, "Roxas, Xion, how are you two holding up?"

"Fine," Roxas said. "We've done this before."

Xion nodded. "I'm just getting used to, well, being _alive_. It's weird. I mean, wasn't even a full Nobody, just a modified Replica, and yet…I feel more alive than ever." She chuckled softly. "It feels great."

"Yeah, I've regained my memories of you, and you seem more, well, human than you used to," Roxas said. "And me, well…it's weird, seeing Sora, and seeing that I'm his Nobody…and yet, I'm here. And that's without going into what Mickey said about Ventus."

Harry smiled at his fellow Nobodies. "Well, we'd better get ready. We're almost there…"

* * *

The first noises that greeted them were a series of roars. Yuffie, who had encountered the Beast when she, along with Leon and the others, returned to Hollow Bastion, identified the roars as his. The palace was magnificent and opulent, if somewhat empty, and Harry and the others had a feeling of foreboding.

They spotted a Heartless scurrying into a nearby room, and they investigated, to find a swarm of them appearing in a study, and a glowing rose under a dome of glass on a nearby desk. They fought off the Heartless, but as more appeared, the Beast burst in with a roar. A vaguely leonine creature standing on his hind legs, and with horns, there was both savagery and yet nobility in his stride as he took out the remaining Heartless. His eyes fixed on Roxas. "You…what are you doing here?"

"We're here to help, so…" But Roxas couldn't continue, as he was shoved aside by the Beast, who took the glass dome, cradling it like an infant, and walked out, leaving Harry, Roxas, Xion and Yuffie to stare at his back in shock.

"Okay, rude," Yuffie muttered once she regained her senses, walking out, though the Beast was, improbably, out of sight already.

Harry, however, saw someone at the top of stairs leading to the East Wing of the palace. Not the Beast, unless he spontaneously transformed into a rather familiar-looking girl. The quartet followed, and eventually found their way to a door. They heard a girl's voice mutter from behind it, "What am I going to do?"

"Hey, that's…" Yuffie muttered, before she knocked on the door. "Hey, is that you, Belle? It's me, Yuffie. Remember, we met at Hollow Bastion!"

"Oh!" The door opened, to reveal a brown-haired girl in her late teens, looking somewhat like Hermione, if she was prettied up a little, and dressed in more mundane and old-fashioned clothing. Even the voice sounded a little like hers(1). "Yuffie, wasn't it?" she asked. "Yuffie Kisaragi?"

"Yep. Can we come in?"

* * *

Belle was brought up to speed, though Yuffie didn't mention that her allies were Nobodies. Belle was a bit suspicious of their clothes, as she was sure she had seen someone in the same outfit around the castle, but she also recognised Roxas as someone who helped the Beast before.

"The truth is," Belle said, "there's a rift between us lately. To be fair, I was actually expecting Sora, Donald and Goofy to make an appearance. Call it a hunch. The only ones who may know more are his servants, and he's locked them up in the dungeon. I don't know why, and with the Heartless running around, along with these other creatures I've spotted lately…"

"It's dangerous, I get it," Harry said.

"Aren't the servants all household items?" Roxas asked. "I think there was a talking clock or something, and a candelabra…"

Belle nodded. "A curse descended on the Beast and his servants long ago. He was once an arrogant and selfish prince, so I was told. An enchantress punished him for not giving her shelter and sanctuary, cursing him to become a beast that reflected his Heart, and the servants were turned into household items. The West Wing has a door to the Undercroft. From there, you should be able to find the dungeon…"

* * *

They left Belle behind, given her lack of combat ability, though not before Harry placed some wards and charms he had learnt from Merlin to help protect her from the Heartless or Nobodies. Her warning helped when they found the door in question…blocked by a living wardrobe. After explaining the situation, the wardrobe, once the maid of the castle, moved aside, allowing them to enter the Undercroft…and there, they had to deal with another Heartless, possessing the two demons carved into the dungeon door's bas relief.

Despite Belle warning them, Harry and the others were still bemused to find the servants present as household objects. Their leader, of sorts, seemed to be Lumiere, a candelabra who spoke with a French accent. Second in command was Cogsworth, a fussy, pedantic living clock, with the hands of his clock face making up a moustache of sorts. Mrs Potts was a teapot, and her son Chip had been turned into a chipped teacup.

After introductions were made, Yuffie asked, "So, what's with the Beast? He's acting, well, more angry than usual, and that's saying something."

"He's losing trust in others, it seems," Potts said sadly.

"Do you think, perchance, he is being turned into a Heartless?" Cogsworth asked.

"Not yet," Harry said. "But it may only be a matter of time. Has anyone else wearing these hooded coats been seen around here?"

"Now that you come to mention it, we have seen someone on occasion, speaking to the Prince," Lumiere remarked.

"Did he give a name?" Xion asked.

"I heard the Prince mention…Xaldin," Lumiere said.

Roxas scowled. "So it is him. We'll need to find a way to stop Xaldin's influence on the Beast. But we may need your help."

"Just out of interest, what was with that rose the Beast was after?" Yuffie asked.

"The rose?" Lumiere asked. "Ah, yes. You see, it is symbolic of his curse. Should he find someone to love him, and to be loved by that person in turn, the curse will lift. Assuming, of course, he can do so before the rose completely wilts."

Harry frowned. "I don't like this. Roxas, Xion, we'd better send you two back to guard Belle. If Xaldin's trying to influence the Beast, she might be in danger from them both. Plus, unless Xaldin decides to attack Belle directly, it might be better to not let him see you two still alive."

Roxas nodded in reluctant understanding. "What will you do if you have to face Xaldin, though?"

"Improvise…"

* * *

Parting ways with Roxas and Xion while they headed to protect Belle, Harry and Yuffie escorted the cursed servants through a series of secret passages, before emerging once more into the main hall of the West Wing. The servants opted to head to the study, though Cogsworth opted to accompany them, to try and talk some sense into the Beast.

Unfortunately, as they reached the bedroom of the beast, they heard a calm, but cold voice speaking, sounding like Snape, with a perpetual sneer in his voice. "…Dealt with Belle," the man said. "She has been weaving a scheme to take all you hold dear. First, the castle. Then, your precious rose. And she will cap off this treachery by taking your life. Trust nobody, and nothing else save your anger. Feed it, and it will strengthen you!"

Harry and Yuffie had heard enough, and entered the once-opulent bedroom, now wrecked by presumably the Beast's anger. They saw a man wearing the distinctive hooded coat standing next to the Beast, who was growling, conflicted, "There's but one thing I want, and strength will not give it to me…"

The Organization XIII member sneered beneath his hood. "You desire to love, and to be loved in return? Tell me, who could ever love a Beast?"

"I dunno," Harry said. "There's some weird fetishes out there. Yuffie pranked me with some pictures once."

"Ah, the traitor to his people," the Organization member remarked. "So you're the assassins hired to help destroy the Beast?"

"I dunno, are you Xaldin, the Organization XIII bastard who likes fucking with people's heads?"

The man scoffed. "So you know my name. Much good that it will do you. Beast, deal with them…"

With that, he vanished, sealing off the part of the room with the rose. The Beast seemed to be surrounded by a dark miasma, and any form of reason or intelligence was gone from his eyes. "Oh great, we're not gonna be talking this one out, are we?" Yuffie asked.

The Beast, with a roar, hurled himself at them, and they dodged out of the way, Harry plucking Cogsworth out of the way as he did so. "Does that answer your question?!" Harry yelped. "Yuffie, knock him out."

"Master!" Cogsworth yelped, before he looked at Harry. "I may be able to rouse him from this state with my chimes. Distract him!"

"Easy for you to say!" Harry yelled, before sending a Stunner at the Beast, sending him sprawling. As he tried to get up, Yuffie hit him as hard as he could over the head with the flat of her now enlarged shuriken, and Harry followed it up by using Incarcerous Maxima to wrap the Beast in chains.

As the dazed Beast roared and struggled, Cogsworth yelled, "Master, please! Compose yourself at once!"

The Beast merely snarled, before managing to break the magically-conjured chains with an effort, only for Cogsworth to finally chime. The sound wasn't loud, but it was piercing, and the Beast seemed to regain control, swaying, before he shook his head with a growl. He turned to look at Yuffie. "I…remember you," he rumbled. "Yuffie Kisaragi…from Hollow Bastion?" He looked over to Harry and his Keyblade. "I don't recognise you, though I recognise what you wield."

"I'm Harry Potter. Have you gotten over your little hissy fit yet?"

The Beast snarled at him, before he stalked over to the rose under the dome. "Cogsworth," the Beast said, his voice a little softer and more concerned. "What in blazes happened?"

Cogsworth dithered, trying to prevaricate, only for Harry to say, "Xaldin was manipulating you, both psychologically and magically, given that aura. Belle's afraid of you, and you put most of the servants into the dungeon."

"I did what?!" the Beast yelped, apparently genuinely surprised. After a moment's contemplation, he stalked over to Harry and peered at the hooded coat. "You wear the same garb as Xaldin."

"A necessary evil. I may wear the same clothes, and I'm a Nobody, but I'm not on Xaldin's side. Roxas and Xion, the others who came with us, are on our side as well," Harry said.

"Hey, Beast, what was Xaldin doing here?" Yuffie asked.

"I'd encountered him before, as well as a boy called Roxas," the Beast began. "Xaldin…he used my anger to control me, and…used my sorrow, my pain…and he turned it into rage and fury, leaving me blind to the truth. He may have used magic to influence me, but not that much," he concluded with a bitter, sardonic scoff. "Belle…I mistreated and mistrusted her. Xaldin didn't need to do much to cause that."

"Belle said there was a rift between you two," Harry said, noting the self-reproach in the Beast's voice. "But she didn't say how bad it was."

"She's too good to," the Beast said. "I have not hurt her physically, but…hurtful, cruel words have been said."

"Then go and apologise, and apologise like you mean it!" Yuffie snapped. "If she really wanted to leave you, she could have asked us to take you away. She cares about you!"

"Not that I deserve it," the Beast growled.

* * *

They persuaded the Beast to come with them to talk to Belle, and found her still guarded by Xion and Roxas. Belle, however, was still somewhat affected by their previous fighting, and asked to be left alone for now. The Beast, then, resolved to take out his anger on the sower of discord: Xaldin.

It seemed that Xaldin had a sense of theatre, as he was waiting for them in a magnificent ballroom. He peered at them, removing his hood to reveal a hard face, framed by black dreadlocks and strangely curving sideburns. "Your meddling in our affairs is becoming all the more tiresome," he remarked.

"You're one to talk!" retorted Yuffie.

Harry glared at Xaldin. "What does Xemnas intend?"

The wind-using dragoon scoffed. "Kingdom Hearts…when we take control, we can exist as true beings once more. And I'll be all too-happy to discuss the details of our plans… _I don't think._ " With a gesture, he summoned a massive Heartless, similar to the Possessor-types that they had encountered infesting statues throughout the castle. "Farewell…" Xaldin said, as he disappeared into a Corridor of Darkness.

* * *

It was a hard-fought battle, as the Heartless kept possessing parts of the room, such as a massive chandelier, the columns, and the very walls themselves. And even after they wore it down, it transformed into a vicious, animalistic beast. But the three of them soon triumphed.

Not long afterwards, Roxas and Xion appeared, escorting Belle, who had been worried about the Beast. The transformed servants were also accompanying them. As the two reconciled, the Beast being rather sheepish as Belle chastised him (rather gently, Harry thought, considering), the servants remarked on the budding relationship.

And then, Harry felt it. His Keyblade calling to him, before the Beast's rose appeared in front of him. On instinct, he fired off a beam of energy from the Keyblade into the rose, and the rose, like a door's lock, emitted a click, as if unlocking something.

"What happened?" the Beast asked, noticing the strange display.

"We've just opened another pathway for Sora and the others, I think," Harry said, rubbing his head. "I'll try and contact them. Maybe they can come around just to say hi. Make sure you two aren't fighting."

The Beast had the good grace to look abashed, while Belle giggled softly. "It'll be good to see those three again," Belle said.

"We'll keep the peace," Lumiere said.

"Take care, dears," Mrs Potts said.

"You are welcome here anytime," Cogsworth said.

* * *

"…And that concludes my report," Xaldin said, standing in front of the leader of Organization XIII, Xemnas.

Xemnas vaguely resembled his progenitor, Xehanort (well, Xehanort possessing the body of the young Keyblade wielder Terra, but those were trifling details), silvery hair framing handsome features set almost perpetually in a cold, lugubrious apathy. He considered the report of Xaldin. "And you say you believe you saw the doll and Roxas?"

"It was after provoking the Beast into attacking the interloper and the so-called ninja," Xaldin said. "I scouted the area to see if I could lure Belle away to try to use her to convert the Beast, should my earlier plan fail. They were standing guard with her. I would not have believed it myself, given the doll's fate, but…"

"Indeed. I would consider you mistaken or lying, Xaldin, but I know you are not prone to such flights of fancy," Xemnas said. "And yet, Xion should not have survived, let alone as an independent entity. And given that Roxas was abducted by the agents of our former teacher, I wasn't expecting to see him again, especially when I gave Axel orders to eliminate him. Then again, the Nobodies that survived the infiltration of Ansem's lair created did report back about the new Keyblade wielder interfering."

"Yes, this Harry Potter. He's skilled for a relatively new Nobody. More of a magic user than a true warrior, but given the skill he shows with the Keyblade…what are your orders regarding Roxas and the doll?"

"For now, nothing," Xemnas said. "The same goes for Harry Potter. For all their meddling, their usage of the Keyblade against Heartless only serves to accelerate our plans. We will deal with them all as they deserve when the time comes. I want you to continue finding a way to turn the Beast into a Heartless and a Nobody, bring him under our aegis. My main concern is what the mouse and the dark-tainted boy are doing, not to mention Axel. I'm almost certain that Axel has turned traitor."

"Hardly surprising, considering what Saïx has spoken of," Xaldin said.

"Which is why Saïx has been assigned to eliminate him," Xemnas said. "Demyx will be sent to obtain the Olympus Stone soon. Xigbar and Luxord are on standby."

"And what of the witch?"

"Maleficent is no real threat," Xemnas scoffed. "If she could fall to a single, barely-trained Keyblade wielder, then we will crush her when the time is right…"

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry and company have stopped Xaldin's manipulations, but for how long? And sorry for glossing over the fight, but I can't write fight scenes that well.**

 **I'm grateful for the response to this story. I hope it continues to give you guys enjoyment.**

 **Review-answering time!** **The Keeper of Worlds** **: I dunno whether Demyx will make an appearance, but I will consider it. But given what I've read, he's probably referring to Roxas. Maybe Ventus as well, if he counts Ventus as being the same as Roxas.**

 **1\. My little nod to the live action version of** ** _Beauty and the Beast_** **, where Belle is played by Emma Watson.**


	6. Chapter 5: Kairi

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **KAIRI**

Soon afterwards, they returned to Hollow Bastion, in time to defend Merlin from a swarm of Heartless. The elderly wizard thanked them once they had driven the creatures away. Apparently Merlin had come across a storybook in storage that Sora had travelled into, one that Yuffie recognised.

Then again, Harry did too, albeit for different reasons.

"Winnie the Pooh?" Harry asked, peering at the book. "You're telling me that Winnie the Pooh, the Disney version, lives in this storybook?"

"Well, yes. Is it that hard to believe?" Merlin asked.

"I'm still not used to this whole 'the Disney versions of fairytales, myths and stories are real' thing," Harry said flatly. "It's tying my brain in knots."

"Yes, contemplation of higher mysteries tend to do that," Merlin remarked. "As Douglas Adams, an author from Lost Avalon, once said, that the chances of finding out what really is going on are so absurdly remote, the only thing one can do is say, well, hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied(1)."

"That's either really deep, or really silly," Yuffie said.

"Mr Adams was frequently both," Merlin said sagely.

"So, what to do next, then?" Roxas asked. "I mean, we'll probably have to head back to Beast's Castle later to check up on them, in case Xaldin tries something again, but we don't really have a clue where to go next, unless we tag along with Sora."

"Well, how about we go and fetch Kairi?" Xion asked. "I mean, Sora suggested that earlier, didn't we?"

Merlin stroked his beard in thought. "To bring her to safety in Hollow Bastion?"

"I…have some of Sora's memories," Roxas said.

"So do I," Xion said.

"Anyway, the Destiny Islands aren't exactly defended," Roxas said. "It's not just through Sora's memories I know that. I think there's…echoes of Ventus' memories within me. And if Axel knows enough about Sora's past, he may head to the Destiny Islands to nab Kairi."

"Given that he was part of the faction working to subvert Sora at Castle Oblivion, it's more than likely," Naminé said, as she walked in with Aerith. "He cares about Roxas more than any other Nobody, especially now that Saïx is apparently closer to Xemnas. I heard him mention it once."

"Do you want to come with us, Naminé?" Harry asked.

"Under most circumstances, I'd be reluctant to. Leaving aside the fact that I am technically Kairi's Nobody, and would normally merge with her if I stayed too close to her…well, I did try to replace her with myself in Sora's memories. That's kind of awkward right there. But…as you're the one anchoring me to existence, Harry, I feel more confident. And in truth, I think Kairi might surprise us all. Call it a hunch…"

* * *

The quartet, now a quintet, made their way through a Corridor of Darkness, Harry hoping that he was getting the direction right. Or rather, that Roxas, Xion and Naminé were. Given who they were Nobodies of, they had the best chance of navigating to the Destiny Islands.

And to Harry's relief, they ended up on a sun-kissed beach. A slender girl with shoulder length reddish-brown hair and in a pink dress was watching an island in the distance. Yuffie called out, "Kairi!"

Kairi wheeled to stare at the ninja in surprise. "Yuffie? Is that you?"

"Of course! Jeez, you've grown," Yuffie said.

"As have you," Kairi said, smiling at Yuffie, before she looked at the others. "Who are these people?"

"It's a very long story," Harry said. "I'm Harry. That's Roxas, Xion, and Naminé. We came from Hollow Bastion at Sora's request to bring you there. Have you ever heard of Nobodies? Organization XIII?"

"No, never," Kairi said. "What are Nobodies?"

"Well, aside from Yuffie, we are. Nobodies are basically what happens to strong-willed people's bodies when their Hearts turn into Heartless. Naminé here is your Nobody, and Roxas and Xion are, technically, Sora's. Again, very long story. However, there's a group of Nobodies who may take you hostage to force Sora to do their bidding, Organization XIII. Roxas and Xion are defectors, and, well, I never joined them."

"Harry's telling the truth, Kairi," Yuffie said. "He fell out of the sky into Hollow Bastion months ago. Merlin, Leon, Aerith, Cid, they all trust him. He's been helping out for some time."

Kairi bit her lip, a little uncertain. "Will I get to see Sora again?"

"He might be back in Hollow Bastion soon," Harry said. "Look, I know you don't have a reason to trust any of us, aside from Yuffie. But…we are here to help."

"And my other friends? Wakka? Tidus? Selphie?"

"They should be fine," Naminé said. "You're of particular interest to Organization XIII because you're a Princess of Heart, and you are, aside from Riku, Sora's best friend. The main danger is if Organization XIII intends to invade this place."

After a moment, Kairi nodded, and walked over to Yuffie. As they walked through the Corridor of Darkness, Harry held back for a moment, looking around at the tropical islands that used to be the homes of Sora, Kairi, and Riku. Just as he was about to follow the others, he heard a voice. "Wait."

The voice was deep, dark, and familiar. Harry turned to find someone in a hooded coat standing there, tall, burly and imposing. "Riku," Harry muttered.

A sad, bitter scoff emitted from the figure, before he pulled his hood down, revealing tanned, handsome features framed by silvery-white hair, and twilight-coloured eyes. "I am Ansem," he said.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Have you been stalking Kairi?"

"What?! No! I mean…" It was weird to see the face of the Heartless of Xehanort get flustered. Eventually, he said, in the voice of a teenager, "Oh, _very funny_. And no, I was coming to see you guys, actually. Imagine my surprise when you're here on the Destiny Islands. Where's Kairi going?"

"Hollow Bastion. We're meeting up with Sora there once he gets back from the Land of Dragons. You wanna come with us?"

"No," Riku said with utter finality. "I can't face him like this. I can't face Sora or Kairi like this. Hell, I may never even look like my old self ever again. Plus…well, I am responsible for Roxas ending up in DiZ's hands…the real Ansem's hands. We had a major argument after you guys left, and…well, I think he regrets what happens."

"No, that's the involuntary bowel movements I left him with."

"Harry…I think your blow-up at him, and the binding of Roxas, Naminé, and Xion to you shook up his worldview. When I left him, he seemed genuinely remorseful. He's more set on trying to stop the Organization now than trying to pursue any of you. I'm not saying you should contact him. He's gone to another hideout anyway, elsewhere within Twilight Town, or maybe Castle Oblivion. But…for what it's worth, thanks for helping Roxas and Naminé. And Mickey's contacted me since you've met him. He hasn't found any more information on Organization XIII's movements, though. He wants you to try and track down Axel. Because of what we've heard from Roxas and Naminé, Axel may be a possible defector. I've met him enough times to know there's something about him. We can trust him as long as Roxas exists."

"Do you know how to find him?" Harry asked. "I'm not sure I want to go to the World That Never Was until I'm sure I need to."

"Twilight Town seems to be one of his favourite haunts, aside from the World That Never Was," Riku said. "Go there with the others, advertise your presence a little. Oh, and Harry? Thanks for helping Kairi and Sora."

"I will. I've told Sora you're still alive…but something happened to you. Unlike Mickey, I didn't promise not to tell him. Sooner or later, you're going to meet them again, and I'd rather they were prepared to see you looking like the fake Ansem."

Riku scowled, before turning away. "I've done a lot of wrongs to them both, Harry. I'm not sure I can face them, even if I wasn't wearing this damned face. The best I can do is to help them from the shadows." Then, over his shoulder, he said, "I almost forgot…I ran into a bunch of people in Traverse Town not so long ago. They're looking for you. I overheard them mentioning you by name. They were wearing robes, too. I didn't catch their names, and I was busy on another errand."

"Can you describe any of them?" Harry asked, beginning to worry.

"They were a few kids about our age. I didn't hang around, though. Sorry. But they mentioned you by name, and said something about 'You Know Who'. Given what Mickey told me about that wizard who wanted to kill you, Voldemort…"

Harry wasn't sure whether he was supposed to feel dread, or hope. While Riku didn't seem to be describing Death Eaters, Harry wasn't sure he could take the chance. And he didn't like to hope, in case it turned out to be false. In any case, there was still some lingering bitterness and resentment over his friends keeping him in the dark, of Dumbledore treating him like a child and not informing him, of allowing Snape to rape his mind.

One thing he did know, if he encountered that spiteful bastard masquerading as a Potions Master again…he was going to tie him up and leave him to be eaten alive by a Heartless.

To Riku, he said, "Thanks anyway."

Riku nodded, turning back to face him. "Good luck. I think we'll both need it…"

Harry turned to head back to Hollow Bastion. With any luck, Sora may actually be back…

* * *

As it turned out, he wasn't, though Merlin, who was present (along with the rest of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee), told the motley group that Sora had finished his work at the Land of the Dragons, and he had summoned Sora's Gummi Ship to Hollow Bastion. They'd be back in a short time.

Kairi was relieved to see some familiar faces. Still, explanations were, understandably, needed, for Kairi if nobody else. The girl in question was staring at her Nobody. She had been given an abridged explanation of who the various Nobodies were, and what had happened to Sora in Castle Oblivion. She was understandably unhappy that Naminé tampered with Sora's memories, but recognised that the Nobody wanted to make amends. "This is a lot to take in," she admitted.

"Harry has a bit of a bad habit of causing headaches for people," Aerith said kindly. "You'll get used to it in time. How are you feeling, Kairi?"

"Fine, given the circumstances," Kairi said. "I mean, I'm glad to meet you, but all this stuff about Nobodies, about Organization XIII, what Naminé did to Sora…I just need time to think about it."

"That's fine," Naminé said. "It was hard confessing that to you. And, to my shame, some of it was done of my own volition, out of the loneliness I felt as a Nobody. I promise you, the only memories he has of me is from when we met after his memories were repaired. You retain your place in his Heart. And in truth, there is more to you than even you suspect."

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked.

"Oh, I suspect it too now," Merlin remarked. "I don't know why, but…Kairi, would you kindly try to summon a Keyblade to your hand?"

After a moment of staring at Merlin, Kairi concentrated…and then, a Keyblade materialised in her hand, much to her astonishment. "What the…?!"

"You're telling me," Leon said. "How did you know, Merlin?"

"I have trained many Keyblade wielders in my time, even if it's in magic. I tend to notice these things," the ancient wizard huffed. "As for Naminé, given that she was once part of Kairi, I suppose that allowed her to sense that, am I correct?"

"Yes. I myself cannot wield it, as my powers are that of memory, but upon meeting her…"

"Hmm, yes. And that Keyblade, if I'm not mistaken, is the Destiny's Embrace. It once belonged to Keyblade Master Aqua, I believe."

"Aqua…I think I remember her…" Kairi said, her brow furrowing. "She helped save me from some monsters…she had blue hair…and I remember thinking I wanted to be like her."

"Hmm, indeed. Those monsters were probably Unversed, Heartless-like beings that appeared in great numbers at the time," Merlin remarked. "In any case, not only are you a Princess of Heart, but you are a Keyblade Wielder as well."

Kairi looked at the Keyblade, laughing softly to herself, before allowing the Keyblade to vanish back whence it came. "Sora, Riku, and now myself…we all are chosen by the Keyblades…"

"There used to be many more," Merlin said solemnly. "But…there was a great war, decimating them. But that's a story for another time."

Any further discussion on the matter was dispelled when Sora, Donald and Goofy entered. His eyes widened on seeing Kairi present. "Kairi!" he yelped, before the two friends ran to each other and embraced.

"Gawrsh, it's getting to be quite the party, isn't it?" Goofy remarked as he watched the reunion.

"More than you'd think," Merlin remarked, peering at Kairi. "A Princess of Heart and a Keyblade Wielder…my word, we live in interesting times…"

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Or are cursed with interesting times, Merlin.**

 **My original version of this chapter had Harry and company interfering with Axel and Kairi's meeting, but I felt that was too far, too soon, so I rewrote the chapter heavily, including a more involved conversation with Riku, where he spoke one on one with Harry, rather than with the rest of the group as in the original chapter.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Jostanos** **: Maybe Demyx may make a defection. I wasn't planning on it, but who knows?**

 **davidteague3950** **: What, no love for Fuujin? As for** ** _Memories of Nobody_** **, I don't think you'll regret it. It's one of the few stories sakurademonalchemist has actually finished. But you have a point. And I know about that there's a LOT of these crossovers that are slashfics. They're not my cup of tea, even if they are for some. Actually, the pairing here was a holdover from my attempt at a** ** _Final Fantasy VII_** **crossover. Having done one with an Aerith pairing in** ** _Vert the Emerald and the Cetra Heritage_** **, I was considering doing one pairing a post-Year 5 Harry with Yuffie (and I may still do that), but I was afraid that it would be an also-ran of** ** _Vert the Emerald_** **in many regards.**

 **1\. Merlin is quoting Slartibartfast, a very Merlinesque character, from Douglas Adams' famous franchise** ** _The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy_** **. Considering the movie version was made by Disney, or at least by Buena Vista, maybe we should have that in a** ** _Kingdom Hearts_** **game…**


	7. Chapter 6: Darkness and Twilight

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **DARKNESS AND TWILIGHT**

DiZ, the man formerly known as Ansem the Wise, stared at his reflection in the mirror, having removed the red cloth bandages he normally wrapped around his face which, with a special spell to further mask his features, effectively disguised him. But even without the spell, there was no denying it. His mien had changed, and with it, his manner.

His ears were beginning to become pointed, and his eyes, although already orange, were deepening in colour to a more diabolical colour. Those were the more overt changes, though. There were more lines, more than he should expect, even with his age, lines caused by stress and trauma. Even a few scars, when things got too dicey.

The greatest changes, however, were within. It had taken Riku's rebuke, following the Potter boy's own verbal attacks, to get DiZ to realise this. He had allowed revenge to consume him, thinking it would keep him strong. Which it did, but it caused a tunnel vision. And with Riku and Potter's angry words, his conviction had fractured, and doubt was flowing in through the cracks, like water flowing into a fractured hull of a ship.

Riku had called him out on manipulating Sora and himself for the sake of revenge, as well as treating Naminé as little more than a tool. No Nobody asked to be brought into existence, and as far as Riku was concerned, if they weren't harming anyone, then they could exist. They were capable of making a choice not to harm others, as they were capable of rational thought.

DiZ didn't want to acknowledge the latter concepts, but the truth that he had manipulated children, even if they were the chosen of the Keyblade, hit close to home. Sora and Riku, along with Kairi, had been thrown into this mess by happenstance, and they chose to fight, but to try and shape them into his tools…

 _I am a servant of the world_ , he had scoffed at Roxas. _And if I am a servant, what does that make you? A mere tool at best_. In a way, it felt like he was telling Sora that, not just his Nobody.

It was Potter coming along, bringing Roxas and Naminé into full corporeal existence…and then bringing another Nobody out of Roxas, one that Roxas and Riku identified as Xion, a Nobody Replica with elements of Sora, though her appearance resembled Kairi more, due to her prominence in Sora's memories. After a major row, and one where Potter had used a rather scatological curse on DiZ, one that was resisting his attempts to dispel it. But he had seen righteous anger in those emerald eyes, a desire to protect, even if it took until now for him to truly realise it.

As he moved back to another lab he had established in Castle Oblivion after all that, he kept an eye on the surveillance feeds he had set up around Twilight Town, and had been astonished to find the four Nobodies walking in the company of King Mickey. DiZ wanted to avoid his old friend. He told himself that Xemnas was his responsibility, not Mickey's, but in truth, he didn't want the goodhearted mouse to try and dissuade him from his revenge. Or rebuke him for using Sora.

While Sora distracted Organization XIII, DiZ was working on finishing his own project, which he could only work on in increments while focusing on restoring Sora. A special digitization device, he was going to use it to thwart the Organization. He knew that Organization XIII had created their own Kingdom Hearts, though to what end, he didn't know. He intended to forcibly encode that Kingdom Hearts into data, using the technology he had derived from the ENCOM corporation's technology on Lost Avalon. He idly wondered how Tron was doing, and whether he was keeping that upstart MCP in check.

After a moment, he chuckled bitterly at the irony. He considered an AI running the security program for his computer to be more of a person than a Nobody. Oh, what a hypocrite he was.

It was at this moment that his computer, which had a basic AI with a female voice, the voice of a former assistant and lover, intoned, " _Warning. Intruder alert._ "

"Identify intruders," DiZ said as he walked out of his bathroom and back into the laboratory, restoring his disguise as he did so. The computer could identify the species of the intruder, as well as the states of their Hearts and souls. A nifty little device, if he did say so himself.

" _Intruders are human mages_ ," the computer intoned. " _All have souls touched or corrupted by the Darkness. Their leader appears to have only a fraction of a soul left in his body, and a considerable amount of magical power at his disposal. They are using spells that appear to instantly kill Heartless and Nobodies, with magical signatures not unlike those of Nobody identified as Harry Potter. Suggestion: retreat immediately._ "

DiZ scowled. "No. Activate the tannoy systems close to where they are. Are they in any regions with traps?"

" _Yes. Would you like me to activate them?_ "

"I'll activate them myself. And bring them up on the screens," DiZ commanded.

" _Understood, DiZ_ ," the computer said, before a camera feed of a group of men and women in dark robes, and wearing skull-like masks appeared. Leading them appeared to be what looked like the rather vile offspring of a man and a snake. Bald head, pale, sickly skin, red eyes, an ophidian face without a nose, just slit-like-nostrils.

"… _Find the ones residing in this castle, and claim it for ourselves_ ," the man was saying in a surprisingly high-pitched, soft voice, but one with undeniable menace behind it. " _Any who stand in our way, we slay. And if we find Potter, he is mine._ "

DiZ raised an eyebrow, before activating the tannoy. "It is considered the height of bad manners to murder the man whom you are guests of. You are in my castle, my domain, ladies and gentlemen. Forgive me for not greeting you at the door, but I was rather engrossed in my work. May I know who I am addressing?"

The ophidian man drew himself up to his full, impressive height. " _I am Lord Voldemort, Muggle._ "

 _Muggle? Ah_ , Ansem thought. He had met Merlin once, and learned that Muggle was a term the mages of the world known as Lost Avalon used for those without magic. Out loud, he said, "You are mistaken, Voldemort. I am a student of magic myself, and I am sure that the term 'lord' is an appellation you appropriated for yourself, rather than earning it."

" _How dare you?!_ " screeched some woman, with wild hair framing gaunt features that were once beautiful, but were now just cadaverous and deranged. " _You will pay dearly for your disrespect!_ "

" _Calm yourself, Bella_ ," Voldemort said. " _Words are all he can use to harm us, or else he would be facing us instead of cowering in a bolthole._ "

"You are mistaken once more. You seem to be searching for one Harry Potter. I have met him previously. If you were polite, I could have spoken to you at great length about him. But your uncouth attitude has cost you dearly."

It was a lie. He didn't know Harry Potter's whereabouts, and didn't want to discuss them with the likes of these, even if he wanted to. But Voldemort snarled, " _Then when we find you, we will tear the information from your mind, and subject you to horrors that will leave you begging for mercy that will not come for a long time._ "

DiZ chuckled. "Thank you, Voldemort. You have just erased any qualms I had about doing this." And with that, he activated the traps, ones he had set himself after Castle Oblivion was abandoned by the Organization. He had to admit, though, he was impressed at the reaction times of some of them, teleporting away, leaving their slower comrades to get impaled or mashed into jam. Still, that teleportation ability was concerning. DiZ decided that a retreat was needed, lest the things he was working on got damaged…

* * *

The reunion between Sora and Kairi took a while to break up, and those present discussed their further plans of action. Kairi, with her newfound Keyblade abilities, intended to stay here in Hollow Bastion, to train under Merlin and Leon, as well as protect the town from any Heartless or Nobody incursions. Once she felt more confident in her abilities, though, she fully intended to go with Sora. Naminé also intended to stay here once more.

Sora was going to continue on his mission to deal with Heartless incursions on other worlds. He'd apparently encountered an old friend, the dragon Mushu, at the Land of the Dragons, and made a new friend, the female warrior Fa Mulan. He was going to stop by and see Beast and Belle once he left Hollow Bastion, but his next port of call after that would be Olympus Coliseum, as that world had shown up as a destination after he used his Keyblade on the keyhole that had formed at the Land of the Dragons. Plus, Sora, Donald, and Goofy wanted to meet Hercules and Phil again…though Hades was another matter.

Harry, Yuffie, Roxas and Xion, however, would head to Twilight Town. Harry promised to explain more about Riku, once he met up with Kairi and Sora again. The quartet, then, headed to Twilight Town through a Corridor of Darkness. As they emerged, Yuffie asked, "Do you think we'll be able to find Axel here?"

"It's safer here than at the World that Never Was," Harry said. "This place may be caught between the light and the darkness, but there's less Heartless and Nobodies present, especially the stronger ones."

"He's right," Roxas said, nodding. "I might be able to control or command some of the lesser Nobodies in the World that Never Was, give us a chance to slip by, but given that I was declared a traitor to Organization XIII…"

"Yeesh," Yuffie said. "Okay, well, you and Xion know Axel better than Harry and me. Any thoughts on where he might be?"

Xion nodded. "The Central Station. We liked to sit on the ledge in front of the clock tower, eating Sea Salt Ice Cream." The dark-haired Nobody smiled at the nostalgia of the memories. Despite her tenuous existence, Xion was becoming more and more human.

"Hey, wasn't there a Struggle tournament being set up when we were last here?" Harry mused.

Roxas grimaced. "You mean with that punk who thinks he's the law of Twilight Town? Seifer or something?"

Harry grimaced as well, thinking back to the blonde kid with the bad attitude and the hangers-on, who made up the self-appointed 'Disciplinary Committee' of Twilight Town. There was the burly, dark-skinned Rai, the violet-haired, laconic Fuu, and the timid Vivi. Seifer gave them grief because they were new in town, and looked to be troublemakers. It was a rotund organiser who broke things up, though the arrival of a former champion, the silver-haired, vaguely effeminate Setzer, also helped.

Harry did end up cursing Seifer's Struggle Bat to start singing like Vernon Dursley did, though. Vernon thought he sang like an opera singer, viewing himself as the next Pavarotti, but in truth, the only thing Vernon had in common with Pavarotti was the weight. Vernon Dursley's singing could count as a weapon of mass destruction, or at least mass insanity. Unfortunately, it tended to aggravate rather than kill Heartless or Nobodies, or else Harry would have mimicked it more often.

In any case, Harry, Roxas, and Xion were more than willing to beat the crap out of that punk Seifer, even if it was with a Struggle Bat rather than a Keyblade. "Well, maybe the tournament's been set up," Harry mused. "In any case, let's head to Central Station. We can go whale on Seifer later."

* * *

They bought some Sea-Salt Ice Cream along the way, with the quartet licking at it as they sat on the ledge. "Well, I can tell why Scrooge likes this stuff," Yuffie said. "I mean, I prefer other flavours, but…"

"Yeah," Roxas said. "The times we spent on this ledge, they were the happiest Xion and I had in Organization XIII. We actually felt like we had Hearts, like we were able to be friends."

"You do have Hearts," Harry said. "Fuck DiZ and what he claimed."

Before he could say anything further, though, they heard the sound of a battle in the distance. Harry knew of the distinctive sound of the spells from back home, as compared to the ones Merlin taught him, the more common combat spells of this universe.

Harry and the others immediately leapt into action. As they ran down the streets, Harry said, "Avoid any spellfire coming at you, especially if it looks green. That's an instant death curse. If they're wearing dark robes and skull masks, they're the enemy."

"And if they're not?" Xion asked.

"Use your discretion, and take down anyone firing at me or the people here!"

Once they got down to the Tram Common, they saw that it was an inferno. People were running and screaming, trying to get out of the way of conflict. And it seemed to be between two different groups of people, even if there was a brief lull in the fighting for now.

Harry recognised the leader of one of them, and snarled. Lucius Malfoy, with his son close by. Death Eaters. They'd somehow come to this universe.

But on the other side…he recognised others. Tonks, Hermione, Ron and the Weasley Twins, Sirius and Remus. But with them was a man dressed in the distinctive black hooded coat that many in Organization XIII wore. Tall, lanky, with blood red hair and piercing green eyes, wielding a pair of burning chakrams.

"Leave now, Muggle," Lucius Malfoy was saying to the man. "This doesn't concern you."

"Hey, the name's not 'Muggle'. It's Axel! Got it memorised?"

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, the wizards and witches from Lost Avalon have come to the** ** _Kingdom Hearts_** **universe. Oh dear. This'll be the last chapter for a while. Sorry to leave you guys in a cliffhanger. Just need to recharge my batteries on this story a little.**

 **Review-answering time!** **DZ2** **: Merlin appeared as far back as Chapter 3, actually.**

 **Jostanos** **: I think it'd be hilarious. And the phrase is 'So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish'.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	8. Chapter 7: Collision Course

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **COLLISION COURSE**

Shortly before these events happened, Hermione Granger was walking through the streets of this place, Twilight Town. Their mission left her ill at ease, especially as more than a few of those with her thought this a fool's errand, trying to track down Harry on a multitude of different worlds. All because Dumbledore was convinced that Harry was, somehow, alive.

She didn't witness his plunge through the Veil, having been injured by Dolohov during that debacle in the Department of Mysteries. But she heard about it from Sirius and Remus afterwards. And her heart broke in more ways than one. She loved Harry. Not as someone to love romantically, but rather, like the brother she never had. He was, in fact, her first actual friend.

But if he wasn't dead, where was he?

As it turned out, this universe wasn't the only one. There were other universes, each with their own worlds. And Dumbledore had managed to pinpoint Harry's rough location to a universe with various worlds that, apparently, corresponded to Disney films. So, Disney versions of fairytales actually happened. That was interesting, and more than a little bizarre.

In any case, they had been going from world to world to try and find Harry, splitting into two groups. Apparently a specially modified Portkey could do the job, something Dumbledore had cooked up in a hurry. And now, here they were in Twilight Town.

Unfortunately, somehow, Voldemort and his Death Eaters learned of this, and had stolen a couple of the Portkeys to use for themselves. Most suspected Snape of doing this. Dumbledore's insistence on trusting him was astonishing, frankly.

In any case, Twilight Town seemed peaceful enough. And what was more, they had a lead. Showing some townsfolk photos of Harry seemed to indicate that he'd been here a few days before, in the company of four others, one of whom seemed to fit the description of Mickey Mouse, of all people. Well, if Mickey ever started going emo and dressing in black hooded coats, anyway. Unfortunately, they didn't have much more to say, like where he went, but to know that Harry was still alive had Hermione sighing with relief.

She shouldn't have relaxed one jot.

Suddenly, the Death Eaters appeared, and upon seeing their quarry, attacked. The Tram Common of Twilight Town became an inferno of spellfire, and part of it became a more literal inferno. Hermione hoped that someone would come in to save them. Harry, Dumbledore's group, Mickey Mouse…anyone!

And then, unexpectedly, salvation did arrive. A dark portal seemed to open in mid-air, and the Death Eaters paused, as did Hermione's comrades, to watch it. And then, a lanky man in a dark, hooded coat, with blood red hair, and brilliant green eyes, walked through. He blinked when he saw the burning surroundings and the panicking people. "Huh…I thought Twilight Town was kind of peaceful. Someone's been doing some renovation. I don't like it." He turned to face the Death Eaters. "Wow, you guys have worse fashion sense than my old bosses." He then summoned a pair of chakrams, wreathed in flames, to his hands.

"Leave now, Muggle," Lucius Malfoy sneered imperiously, apparently ignoring the fact that said 'Muggle' had used a portal, and had somehow summoned weapons to his hands. "This doesn't concern you."

"Hey, the name's not 'Muggle'. It's Axel! Got it memorised?"

"I don't need to know the name of a dead man," Malfoy sneered, only to be suddenly blasted back by what had to be an overpowered Expelliarmus, given the way his wand went flying...

…And landed in the hand of someone who just came running up, dressed in a dark hooded coat. A very familiar somebody.

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed.

"POTTER!" roared Malfoy from where he was sprawled.

"Roxas?!" Axel yelped.

"Axel!" the boy with the spiky, light brown hair called out.

"Axel!" one of the dark-haired girls yelled.

"Xion?!" Axel demanded in confusion.

"…Rocky?" Sirius added(1).

"Surrender at once, Potter," Malfoy said, getting to his feet. "Surrender, and the Dark Lord may decide to be merciful to you and your friends."

"I have a better offer," Harry said. "Piss off, or we don't let Axel here roast you alive."

Axel turned to Harry. "These guys know you?"

"They're led by my mortal enemy," Harry said with a shrug. "By the way, avoid any magic spell they hurl at you that's green. Got it memorised?"

After a moment, the redhaired man chuckled. "So that's what it's like to be on the receiving end. You fine accepting help from me?"

"You're not with the Organization anymore, aren't you?"

"Nope. Screw them. Even if those two are just hallucinations, I've had enough of Xemnas and the others," Axel said. "Incidentally, these guys, do you want them dead or alive?"

"They're murderers and rapists themselves. If you can send them to the World that Never Was to try and fend off the Nobodies there, be my guest."

Axel grinned. He gestured, and a massive portal appeared in the ground beneath the Death Eaters, causing them to disappear with yells. "Adios," he said, making the portal disappear.

"Umm, where did you send them?" Hermione asked, as Remus, Sirius and Tonks went to start putting out the fires and repairing the damage to the area.

"The World that Never Was," Axel said. "It took quite a bit out of me, but they'll have plenty of Nobodies to keep them company. Okay, so, now that we have a breather, maybe I can get back to being shocked by the fact that Roxas and Xion are still around. And I'm guessing that, given your reactions, you know each other."

"Yeah. They probably thought I died. Instead, I became a Nobody."

"Yeah, I heard Saïx tried to recruit you, and you pranked him. Classic, man." Axel then looked awkward. "Are we going to have to fight it out?"

"Have you left the Organization, Axel?" the boy with the spiky, light brown hair, apparently Roxas, asked.

After a moment, Axel said, "Nope. But I have now. Screw them. Between what happened to you and Xion…I've had enough. Saïx is no longer the guy I once knew. I'd rather be with my friends than the Organization."

"Okay. Well, just excuse me a moment," Harry said, before he finally turned to Hermione and the others. "Sorry, needed to get that stuff out of the way first. What are you guys doing here?"

"What the hell do you think we're doing here, mate?!" Ron exploded, his tone edged with incredulity rather than anger. "We're here looking for you!"

"Huh. I thought you'd have thought me dead. Okay, introductions." He gestured towards his companions. First, the dark-haired girl with the Asiatic features. "This is Yuffie Kisaragi, my girlfriend." Then, the boy with the light brown hair. "Roxas." He then indicated the other dark-haired girl. "Xion. Apart from Yuffie, we're Nobodies. We'll explain what that means later. Long story short, Axel, Roxas and Xion used to belong to Organization XIII, a group of Nobodies that do bad shit to other worlds. Yuffie, Roxas, Xion, these are my friends, Ron Weasley, his older brother Gred and Forge…or is that Fred and George?" He shrugged at the twins' laughter. "There's Hermione Granger, and yes, I know she looks and sounds a bit like Belle. There's my dogfather, Sirius Black, that's Remus Lupin, and that's Nymphadora Tonks, though why she hates her first name, I've no idea."

"You'll get a pass that one time," Tonks retorted as she extinguished one particular fire. "On account of you being alive and well, being a 'Nobody' aside, whatever the hell that is. You look like you have a body to me."

"It's more like we don't exist properly," Axel said. "By the way, nice hair. Bubblegum pink, and in that style. Plus, you're hotter than Marluxia. Then again, I don't quite swing that way. For guys, I mean. So…you guys are mages?"

"Wizards and witches, actually," Remus said. "I guess there's no Statute of Secrecy?"

"If, by that, you mean magic's secret, no. There's laws against letting people know you're from other worlds, but, well, I've never been one for rules," Axel drawled. "So, I presume you know this guy?" Axel indicated Harry.

"Of course we do! He's my godson!" Sirius snapped.

"Roxas, Xion…go catch up with Axel," Harry said. "I've got some catching up to do myself…"

* * *

There was a nearby café whose owner gave them free tea and coffee in gratitude for their help. They sat at the largest table they could find, and Harry explained, as briefly as he could, what had happened to him, and what he had been doing. And why he hadn't come home.

Hermione frowned. "So, Nobodies are basically people who lose their Hearts, but they can regain them over time. I didn't think you acted much more differently, except you're a bit freer with your language. But this Keyblade thing…"

"It means I'm too useful to the people of these worlds, Hermione," Harry said. "While you can defeat Heartless with normal attacks, the Keyblade is the best way to deal with them more permanently. Until Sora woke up, I was pretty much the only public Keyblade wielder, and even that's not counting Riku and Mickey. Unlike those back home, the people of Hollow Bastion are mostly grateful for my help." Harry held up a hand to forestall the protests. "Yeah, I know, you guys were fine, but…remember what they wrote about me in the _Prophet?_ Or what Fudge and Umbridge did? How Dumbledore and the Order did fuck-all, at least to my knowledge, but guarding that prophecy? Yuffie and the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, at least, care, once they got used to me being a Nobody. I did want to come back eventually, to make sure you guys were all right, and that Voldemort was dealt with, but I needed to find a way first."

Eventually, Remus said, "I can't blame you for feeling alienated from Magical Britain, Harry. A lot of us had very harsh words with Dumbledore. Both he and Snape have remained on Earth, on a mission that, he claims, will render Voldemort mortal. He told a couple of us some vital secrets. But…we came mostly to see if you were still alive. Most of Magical Britain thinks you're dead, and if you came back…well, I'm sure many will believe you to be a Dark Lord on the rise."

Yuffie scoffed. "They sound like morons. Don't get me wrong, Nobodies are feared throughout our worlds, and with good reason. But not all of them are like Organization XIII. And they clearly have personnel retention issues if Axel and Roxas want to get away from them. If you want to help out around Hollow Bastion, be our guests. We don't have enough people able to guard the town against Heartless and Nobody incursions."

"Plus, we have Merlin living there," Harry said, grinning at the excited look in Hermione's eyes.

"THE Merlin?!" Ron, of all people, yelped.

"Yes, the one who helped mentor King Arthur," Harry said. "He comes from our world, originally. And unlike Dumbledore, he doesn't mince words."

"Right. At least for now, we'll head to Hollow Bastion," Sirius said. "We'll have to send notification to the others. Just remember, Harry, we've got more than this Organization XIII coming after you. The Death Eaters are searching for you throughout these worlds, and Merlin knows what they'll do to try and get to you."

Harry nodded. It seemed that ghosts from the past had a nasty habit of popping up when he least expected it, and he should have known better than to believe Voldemort wouldn't find a way of pursuing him. Still, Voldemort wouldn't be facing the Harry Potter of old, nosiree…

* * *

Xemnas arrived to the scene of the disturbance, bringing Xigbar and Saïx with him. In the city their citadel loomed above, a bunch of Nobodies had reported intruders, intruders that had managed to fight off a number of Nobodies and Heartless. They found a group of mages in dark robes and rather gauche skull masks, using spells to attack their foes. Xemnas in particular noted the instant lethality of the green spells as he and his underlings viewed the fight from the top of a nearby skyscraper.

"Whaddya reckon?" Xigbar drawled. "These guys are annoying. Should we go all out?"

"No. According to reports, they fell out of a Corridor of Darkness, in a manner that suggested they were not the ones to create it. Only Nobodies, Heartless, and those with Hearts steeped in darkness can use those. I doubt it was an ally of ours who did it. Perhaps one of the traitors did…which means we may have common foes." His decision made, Xemnas roared out, "NOBODIES, CEASE! MAGES, I DECLARE PARLEY! BREAK IT AT YOUR PERIL, FOR IF YOU DO, YOU WILL DIE."

As the Nobodies stopped fighting, the mages eventually did too. Xemnas used his own powers of magic over nothingness to send an illusionary image of himself down to them. "State your business, mages," he spoke through his doppelganger. "Few trespass on the World that Never Was and live to tell of it. How did you come here?"

Their leader, a blonde-haired man, sneered, but said, "One of yours, a red-haired man by the name of Axel, sent us here!"

"Axel? So he has turned traitor? Your magic is strange for our realms, mage. What business do you have?"

"We are here to find Harry Potter, and deliver him to our master, the Dark Lord!"

It was all Xemnas could do, despite his supposed lack of a Heart, to not laugh at such a pretentious and portentous title. Instead, he said, "Harry Potter, you say? He has been a thorn in our sides as well. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement of mutual benefit, one that can erase this…misunderstanding…"

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's found friends old and new, and Xemnas may have found some new allies. Oh shit…**

 **That being said, I know I said that during the last chapter, but don't expect a new chapter for a while. My muse needs a rest…**

 **Review-answering time!** **phantomace13** **: I'll consider it: I wasn't sure what other** ** _Kingdom Hearts_** **worlds Harry would go to. I don't want him to supplant Sora for the whole story.**

 **1\. Sirius is referring to** ** _The Rocky Horror Show_** **and its movie adaptation,** ** _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_** **. I've watched the movie, and the recent Australian stage tour.**


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